18 JANUARY
Tomfoolery (tom-FOO-luh-ree) playful or foolish behavior (noun) In her book Anne of Green Gables, author Lucy Maud Montgomery had one character describe Anne as ‘writing stories or practising dialogues or some such tomfoolery, and never thinking once about the time or her duties.’ That grumpy character obviously didn’t think writing or acting was serious work!
19 JANUARY
Virtuoso (ver-choo-OH-soh) a person who is an outstanding performer, especially in music (noun) Singer-songwriter Prince, born in 1958, was considered a virtuoso on guitar, as well as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.
17 MAY
Procrastinator (pruh-KRASS-tuh-nay-tuh) a person who frequently puts off doing things (noun) Surprisingly, famed artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci was a procrastinator. When asked to complete a project for a church in Milan, Italy, da Vinci said he could have it done in six months. The project took twenty-five years to complete.
18 MAY
Incognito (in-kog-NEE-toh) with your true identity kept secret, often using a different name or a disguise (adverb) British actor Daniel Radcliffe once wore a Spider-Man suit in order to walk around the international comic book convention, Comic-Con, incognito. He adopted an American accent and even took photographs with people who were unaware that it was the movie star in disguise.
Space Words Blast off to another galaxy with these galactic words!
23 AUGUST
Asteroid (ASS-tuh-royd) a small, rocky object that orbits the Sun (noun) On 25 November 2005, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) landed the Hayabusa spacecraft on the asteroid Itokawa. It was the first space mission to collect surface material from an asteroid and bring it back to Earth.
24 AUGUST
Gibbous (JIB-uhss) with more than half but not all of the apparent disc illuminated, used to describe a view of the Moon or a planet (adjective) As the Moon orbits the Earth, the parts of the Moon that face the Sun are illuminated. When more than half the Moon faces the Sun, it creates a gibbous Moon, which occurs right before and after a full Moon.
25 AUGUST
Extraterrestrial (ek-struh-tuh-RESS-tree-uhl) coming from or existing outside the planet Earth (adjective) The first interstellar object to pass through our solar system was spotted in 2017 by astronomers in Hawaii, who named it ‘Oumuamua. Due to the object’s odd shape, brightness and flight pattern, some astronomers believe that it may have been an extraterrestrial visitor from an alien civilisation.
26 AUGUST
Lunar (LOO-nuhr) of, or related to, the Moon (adjective) NASA astronaut Harrison Schmitt was a part of the Apollo 17 mission that landed on the Moon on 11 December 1972. As he and a fellow astronaut explored the Moon’s surface, dust stuck to their boots, suits and tools. When Schmitt returned to the spacecraft, he removed his helmet and his nose got stuffed up. That’s how he discovered he was allergic to lunar dust. 28 AUGUST
27 AUGUST
Nebula (NEB-yoo-luh) a large cloud of gas or dust in outer space (noun) The closest nebula to Earth, the Helix Nebula, is made of gas given off by a dying star.
Supernova (SOO-puh-NOH-vuh) the bright explosion of a star at the end of its life that can be one trillion times brighter than the Sun (noun) Some heavy elements, like iron, are only created in supernovas. Humans typically have between three and four grams of iron in their bodies, which means we all carry the remains of space explosions.
Britannica’s
Author: Britannica Group Illustrators: Emily Cox, James Gibbs, Josy Bloggs & Liz Kay Ages: 8+ years Price: £12.99 Format: Hardback Extent: 352 pages Trim size: 160 x 180 mm Pub date: 7th July 2022 ISBN: 978-1-9137503-5-0
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• ISBN 978-1-913750-35-0
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9 781913 750350
Become a word virtuoso in just one year with 366 top-notch words aimed to impress. This charmingly illustrated book features captivating words selected by the masterminds at Britannica to highlight the best of the English language. Follow a motley group of animals as they teach one new word for each day of the year, including a pronunciation guide, definition, sample sentence and interesting trivia about the word’s usage or etymology. Each month concludes with a zany story that features all the new words learned. This wonderfully wordy book will add pizzazz to any vocabulary and turn whippersnappers into logophiles.
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Words feature quirky illustrations and are introduced with a pronunciation guide, definition and interesting fact about the word. Delightfully challenging and surprising words with real-life examples will convert young readers (and their grown-ups) into word lovers. Each month contains one word per day, interspersed with themed pages such as spooky or musical words, as well as an end-of-the-month story that includes all of the new vocabulary. A beautifully illustrated word compendium that is designed to be treasured for years to come.
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